Microsoft Cortana Images Leaked; Will It Be A Siri & Google Now Competitor?

Microsoft’s mobile digital voice assistant Cortana is all set to be added to the latest Windows 8.1 update. Touted as a rival to Apple’s own voice assistant Siri, Cortana will reportedly tap into the APIs of services like Bing and Foursquare to provide Windows Phone users with a Google Now-like personal assistant.

Cortana, which first surfaced in September last year,  is a popular character in Microsoft’s video-game franchise Halo. The voice assistant on Windows Phone utilizes a “Notebook” system that allows it to access location data, personal information, reminders, contact information and user behaviors similar to Google Now. Meanwhile, Apple’s Siri uses Wolphram Alpha and Yelp to answer queries on iPhones.

Cortana will reportedly take the form of a circular animated icon that will animate while it’s retrieving information or responding to a question. Users will be able to either type or say questions to receive answers, which will be powered by a number of services, such as Bing and Foursquare. The software will also scan your email to learn about you, which will help it provide contextual information.

Microsoft is expected to unveil a number of new features in addition to Cortana at the next Microsoft Build conference, including a notification center for Windows Phone 8.1, and separate apps for Xbox Music and Xbox Video. The software company is striving hard to compete with Apple and Android in terms of smartphone sale and number of apps in the app store. But, will adding a voice assistant to its platform help the company garner users? Also, I think its voice assistant Cortana can add some extra features  that are not available in Siri or Google Now. Only then will the service stand out and attract users.

Source: The Verge

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